Two thirty-seconds to clarence h



F. NORMAN. ACETYLENE GENERATING AND SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. 1916.

Patented "May 20, 1919.

State of Iowa, .ful Acetylene tem for Automobiles, is a specification.

This invention relates FRANK NORMAN, or DES MoINns, Iowa,

MEN'I'S, or SEVEN oNns T0 ALPHOZNSO B. L0 oNE' THIRTY-SECOND To win rwo- THIRTY-SECONDS rnmrY-sEcoNns T0 or THIRTY-SECONDS T AssrGNon, I 0 WILLIAM A. mam-En, FOUR 'rnm'rY-sEc- VAN, 'rwo THIRTY-SECONDS TO GEORGE w. YOUNG, AND

LIAM '1. SHORES, ALL

NICHOLS, OF NEW TO CLARENCE H. V HO It. MOATEE, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

0F SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, YonK, N. Y., AND EIGHT ACETYLENE'GENERATING AND SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

To all whom it may Be' it known that I, citizen of the United States,

of Des Moines, county of city generating and supply combustion engines Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 20, 1919.

Application flled June 24, 1916. Serial No. 105,609.

concern:

FRANK NORMAN, a residing at the Polk, and have invented a new and use- Generating and Supply Sysof which the following to acetylene gas systems for internal of the type employed upon automobiles and other vehicles.

An object of the invention is to provide an acetylene system especiallygas generating and supply adapted for use in connection with internalcombustion engines for with which propelling any: kind of vehicle or vessel,

such engines have been emprovided with a generator and in combination with an exmixer an d into the a Anotherobject of manifold of the engine. the invention is to provide .a novel and eflicient acetylene gas. gencrating and the internal combustion engineof an auto supply system combin with mobile or other ve -'cle or vessel and comprising a generator including a carbld holder, and water supply passages 1n which the c'arbid holder is controlledby the motion of the vehicle or vessel to agitate and tribute the carbid so that subjected to matic means water into the generator by the pressure of and an expans'ble gas receiver the gas,

' located in engine for r the supply passage eceiving t disthe action of the water, autofor stopping the flow of the he gas and forcing it with approximately uniform "pressure. to-

ward the engine irrespective. of

the variations in the pressure of the gas within the generator.

her

object of the invention is a.

exceeds that of the water In nature will ap -parts-of-the system .to

al of it will be leadingto the connecting the water tank provide an acetylene gas generating and supply system for internal combustion enginescomprising a generator, 3. water and pressure tank adapted to contain water and havlng a supply pipe leading to the generator and receiving air pressure from a pump device driven by the engine, whereby the tained constantly or continuously, automatic means for stopping the supply of water When the pressure of the gas in the generator 7 the supply pipe, and a gas receiver in the passage leading to the engine arranged to receive the gas and to be expanded thereby and to force the gas w1th a constant and uniform pressure toward the engine by the inherent contracting qualities of the walls of the receiver.

A further obj ectis to provide an acetylene gas generating and supply system of the character mentioned including a mixer for mixing the .air and gas in proper tlons and arranged to receive the. as under pressure applied by the expansib e' re-. ceiver, whereby the gas is forced'through the mixer and into the manifold of the engine.

Additional objects 'of general and specific tailed description, reference being made to the accompanying embodiment of the invention, in which- Figure 1 is a view illustrating the generating system applied to the engine of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a View illustrating certainfessen of the invention in section, the broken to permit the difierent tial parts pipes being proximity to each other.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the generator.

Fig. 4' is a sectional view illustrating the construction of the check valve in the pipe with the generating tank. I v i Y Fig. 5' is a sectional view illustrating the construction of the check valve in the pipe for admitting gas pressure. inst the-effluent side of the valve shown in 4'.

Bf DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN- supply of water to the generator is maln- I ar fromthe following dedrawings illustrating one .be' illustrated in p Y V 'Fig. his a sectional view illustrating the V construction of. a well'known. pressure regulator in connection with the water While I have illustrated the invention applied to an automobile forgenerating acetylene gas and supplying it under pressure to I f the engine, it'will be readily understood that I-haveillustrated' the invention applied to anautomobile forpurposes of convenience only, and that the invention may be used withjequaladvant'age in connectlon with a the englnes of other vehicles or vessels, such for instance as airships or boats, and-also F with stationary engines. Therefore,- in de-'-' scribing theinvention in the environment in j which it is illustrated,'it will be understood that the'use of the invention is in no sense limited or restricted. As illustrated the invention comprises an acetylene gas generating tank 7 1 mounted upon supports 2 in connection with the frame of an automobile and retained, in position by removable bands or. straps 3 applied in a well understood manner. The tank 1 incloses a carbid holder 4 pivotally supported by bails 5and arranged to be swung; 1nto contactwith .the sidewallsof the tank by the movement or vibration of the vehicle. Thus .the carbid is agitated or moved in the carbid holder as an incident to the vibration of the vehicle, so that all of the carbid is brought into position; to receive the water spray, thus preventingthe water from concentratin upon a small quantity or portion of the car id. The carbidholder is provided with a bottom in the form of a screen or grate, through which'the ashes are shaken into the ash pan 5 which is removablefrom thetank. -One end of the tank is closed by a removable closure 7 provided with appropriate packing 8. for a hermetic joint,

1 the closure being retained in position by threaded stud 11 carried by the closure, The levers 9 are provided with adjustable comits" levers 9 pivotally sup-ported by the tank and compressed" into clamping position by a clamp device 10 which operates upon a,

pression elements 12 adapted to, bearagainst A water supply' -pipel't' has an extension pressure will be forced in the form of a and distributed bydeflectors' 17 over a rela tively large area of the carbid. -A manipulative. valve-18, in the extension 14, is adjustable to open and close the. passage optionally. check valve device 19 of the usual and wellnknown construction is arran ed in the pipe 13-to open under the pressure 0 the water in. order to permit the water to enter theextension-14 and the spray pipe 15. A gas pipe 20 constitutes a communication from the tank into the union between the pipe 13 and the extension 14, and is provided with a valve 21 which closes under the pressure of the water entering the extension 14, so that the water cannot be discharged into the tank through the. pipe 20. However, when the "pressure of thegas within the tank rises above the pressur'e of the waterfin the supply pipe, the valve 21 is opened by thepressure of/the gas, so that the gas may enter the-pipe 13 .an'd'close the valve 19 and there by stop the flow 'of-the water. However, when the pressure of the gas within the tank becomes reduced below the pressure of the water inthe supply pipe, the valve 12 is again opened and the valve 21 closed-by the water pressure, thus permitting the water again to enter the spray pipe.

The generating tank 1 is provided with a safety valve 22 for relieving automatically excessive pressure in the tank, and is also provided with a valve controlled drain outlet 23 for withdrawing any accumulations of Water from the tank.

. "The generating tank .is divided from the water chamber 24 by an impervious partition 25. The water chamber 24 is provided with a water filling passage 26 andincloses the series of submerged coils of pipe 27 the upper one of which opens into the generating chamber and the lower one of which has an extension 28- passing through the lower wall of the water chamber and communicating with a service pipe 29 which leads to the gas receiver. Since the walls of the water chamher; are cooled by the air, thus cooling the water, the temperaturepf the gas is reduced thereby. The connection between the pipes 28 and 29 is provided with a valve controlled drain outlet 30 for withdrawing any condensation or deposits which accumulate within the pipes. The bottom of the water chamber is also provided with a valve controlled drain outlet.'31.- J v 1 The service pipe 29 leads to the expansible gas receiver which is mounted. in a box including a bottom 32, constituting a support for the receiver and side walls 33 for preventing lateral movement of thefside chambers of the receiver. The receiver is composed of a series of chambers 34 with expansible side walls, the adjacent ones of which communicate witheach other at alternately I opposite ends through passages 35, by which means the receiver is made to serve'as a tort uous passage for cooling the gas in addition to the functions of maintaining a' reserve supply of the gas and of forcing the gas with continuous and uniform pressure tomally spaced apart so The chambers 34'are northat when the gas enters the chambers, the expansible side walls thereof are expanded or inflated into contact with each other, 'as will be understood by reference to Fig. 2. Since the ward the engine.

Walls of the chambers are composed of resilient material and are normally in contracted relation, it will be understood that'the resiliency of the Walls constantly exerts or applies pressure to the gas in order to force the gas with uniform pressure toward the mixer and the engine. At least one of the chambers is provided with a valve controlled drain outlet 36, through which the accumulations o-r deposits of moisture may be withdrawn.

A pipe 37 leads from the last chamber 34 of the series into a cylinder 38 constituting the casing of the mixer. The pipe 37 is controlled by a throttle valve 39 operated by the usual manipulative throttle connections 40 extending through the steering column. A pressure gage 41 has communication with the pipe 37 through a pipe 42, so that the pressure of the gas into the air mixer and engine is at all times visually indicated.

The mixer includes a receiving chamber 43 in the casing 38 having passages 44 opening into the mixing chamber 45 and controlled by a puppet valve 46. The puppet valve 46 is attached to a stem 47 passing through axial openings in the walls of the receiving chamber and encircled by a spring 48 which yields to the pressure of the gas against the valve, to enable the valve to open and admit the gas into the mixing chamber. The tension of the spring 48 may be varied by a tension regulating device 49 mounted upon the stem of the valve and adjustable to vary the tension of the spring at will. cap 50 has threaded connection with the end of the casing 38 and incloses the end of the valve stem 47, the spring 48 and regulator 49, and also prevents any escape of the as through the bearing in which the va ve stem is mounted.

- The opposite end wall of the mixing chamber 45 is provided with a series of air inlet passages 51 which are controlled by a puppet valve 52 mounted on a stem 53 extending through and wall which constitute a bearlng for the stem. A sprin '54 encircling the valve stem 53 normally holds the valve in position to close theair passages admixture within the mixing chamber is withdrawn by operation of the engine, the spring 54 yields tothe pressure of the air against the valve 52, sothat a proper proportion of air enters the mixing chamber to be mixed with the gas entering said chamber through the passages 44. The mixture from the mixing chamber enters the manifold of the engine through a connecting pipe or passage 55. The tension of the spring 54 may opening in the end 51, but when the,

' acetylene gas having an air pressure pipe 58 receiving airforced therein by a pump 59 illustrated diagrammatically and driven-by the engine in a'well understood manner. Since the specific connections or mechanim for driving the pump by the engine are notclaimed in this application it is, of course, unnecessary to illustrate or describe such connections or mechanism specificall The tank 5'? is equipped with a pressure regulator 60 of the usual well known construction and is also provided with a pipe 61 leading to an air pressure gage 62, so that the pressure in the tank is at all times visually indicated. The regulator 60 controls the pressure of the water so that the pressure of the gas in the generator may close the valve 19 when the desired pressure of gas in the generator is attained, even while the pump 59 continues in operation.

It is apparent that the construction and arrangement of the various elements comprising the invention may be varied without departure from the scope and nature of the invention. Therefore, I do not restrict myself to specific features, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with an engine, of an acetylene gas generator, a device operated by the engine for forcing water into the generator, means with gas from the generator, a device controlled by the pressure of the gas in the,

generator for preventing the flow of water into the'generator, when the gas pressure in the generatorv exceeds the pressure of the water, and while said first-named device continues in operation, and means for controlling the pressure of the water, whereby said last-named device will be operated by the pressure of the gas to prevent the flow of water into the generator named device continues in operation, when the desired pressure of gas in the generator is attained.

2. The combination with an engine, of an generator, a passage for conducting water into the generator, avdevice operated. by the engine for forcing water through said passage into the generator, means for supplying the enginewith gas from the generator, means for modifying the pressure of the gas from the generator to equalize the pressure of the gas toward the engine under varying pressures of the for supplying the engine while said firstthe pressure ofthe gas in the generator for preventing the flow of water mto the generator, when the gas pressure in the generator exceeds the pressure of the water in '5 said passage, and while said first-named de- .vice continues in operation, and means for controlling thepressure of the water insaid passage, whereby said last-named device will be operated. by the pressure of the gas to i 10 prevent thefl-ow of water into'the generator ing witnesses.

while said first-named device continues in operation, when the desired pressure ofgas in the generator is attaine In witness whereof I" have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- 15 FRANK NORMAN.- a

Witnesses: Y

CHAS. MCKNOLLY, Gmmrs DAILY. 

